Heart and Soul
by meadow-heart
Summary: New characters, new villians, and new ideas join Ash and his friends in a suspenseful AAML fanfic.


Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the things I write about (Pokemon, Fruits Basket, ect.), but I DO OWN my** ideas, own characters, and storylines**, so please don't steal them. Thanks, and now, on with the fanfic!

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**Heart and Soul**

**Introduction:** Ash stretched his arms above his head. It felt good to be on the move again. He met his friends, Brock May, and Max, at the end of his driveway. They had been on a short "vacation" in Pallet Town for two weeks now, and were eager to set out. They were bound for Cerulean City to visit an old friend, Misty, at her family's gym. The foursome started for the forest after brief "hellos" and "good mornings", unaware of the turmoil that lay ahead.

**Chapter I: ****"How Much Do You Know?"**

0o0o0o0o0

After hours of walking, the sun is beating down on the weary travelers…

May sighed, "How much farther do we have to go?"

"Shh!" Max put a finger to his lips and signaled for the others to duck down behind some bushes. A loud argument was taking place in a clearing on the other side. The friends, well hidden, peered through the leaves.

"Team Aqua!" Brock whispered.

"And Team Magma!" Ash added as they watched the fight unfold.

"Hand it over!" yelled a red-clad figure.

"First tell us what it is!" yelled a girl in blue.

"And why you want it so badly!" sneered another.

"Ha! You really think that I would be foolish enough to tell you lot? Ha!" a gruff male voice boomed from the sea of red. "Now, GIVE ME THAT!" The man aimed a pokeball at the crowd of Team Aqua figures.

"Tailo!" Suddenly, a blue streak shot out of the underbrush and grabbed a golden ball from a Team Aqua member, and flew off.

The four friends ran off after the little bird Pokemon, leaving the two Teams to sort this out alone.

The Tailo led them to a small stream. There, crouching by the water was a girl, maybe seventeen or so. The Tailo dropped the gold ball into, and then settled onto her shoulder. The girl stood up slowly, and turned to face the group. Her short, brown hair was cut off at the shoulders. She wore a plain blue t-shirt and old blue jeans. A strange pendant hung around her neck. She was tall and barefoot. The girl stared at the group with ice-blue eyes. "Well," she said coolly, "How much do you know?"

Ash explained the argument between Team Aqua and Team Magma.

"So, uh..." Ash hesitated, "What is, I mean…Who are you?"

"Brook," she said bluntly, "Are you going to Varidian City? I'm coming with you."

_Well, _May thought, _At least she's not shy…_

0o0o0o0o0

The walk out of the forest was silent, or at least to Max it was. He was thinking about that golden ball, the glowing orb that perplexed him. It wasn't a pokeball, not one _he_ had ever seen, so what was it?

A boom of thunder interrupted his thoughts. Lightning flashed again, this time bringing the rain with it.

"Quick! Over here!" It was Brook. She was ducking under the low-hanging branches of a willow tree, motioning for the others to follow.

May came out from under the tree and gasped. In front of her stood an indigo lake with a floor of soft, white sand. The clearing was ringed with trees, laden with every fruit you could imagine.

"Huh?" May's little brother pulled her out of her thoughts. "Why isn't it raining?"

May looked up. She could see the clouds and the splatter of rain, but it stopped only feet above her head. As an answer, Brook whistled. Out of the brush floated a Meditite. A small Mairil floated to the surface of the pool. The floating psychic-type moved his hands. Suddenly, a huge waterfall fell from the sky. It fell to the lake, soaking the friends in a silver foam. Poor Meditite lost all concentration, and the shield of water fell. The whole clearing was hit by a tsunami the size of Kyogre. The five friends looked at each other, soaking wet, and fell laughing into the mud. The little floating Pokemon turned red, and he and Mairil soon had another roof of water above their heads.

When May finally recovered, she asked, "So Brook, where did you and your Pokemon lean that trick?"

"I used to go to contests," Brook replied, "We won first prize six times with that one! That was back before-" She stopped. Her face bore a look of concealed pain, locked in, for no one to see_. "How did they do that?"_ she thought, _"How did they make me remember? I almost told them everything. I can't break now, __I won't__._

After the rain, the group set out to reach Varidian City.

It only took another hour, before they could see the end of the forest. Once out of the trees, the sight before them struck the trainers to their cores. Flames engulfed the city. Some smothered by the drizzle of rain, but most, like a hungry beast, devouring anything that would burn. People, now homeless, roamed the streets aimlessly, mumbling about lost homes and loved ones. One elderly woman stopped in front of Brook, oblivious to all else.

"Brook, dear," she sounded concerned, "Have you seen my little Martha lately? She appears to have run off…"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Salmer," Brook said with little emotion, "I haven't seen her."

Once Mrs. Salmer was out of earshot, Brook told the others that Martha was Mrs. Salmer's Skitty, "She ran away a week ago and wasn't found by any of the neighbors."

The others looked stricken, but Brook kept walking. She stopped at a small shack near the foothills. She rummaged around, mumbling under her breath, as she pulled out a small leather bag. When the girl opened up the bag, the others gasped. Inside were hundreds of pokeballs, each labeled with the name of a Pokemon. Brook pulled out a small, red ball with "Skitty" written on it, and let the pink Pokemon out. Then, fastening a green collar around its neck, she ran towards the elderly woman. "Mrs. Salmer! I found Martha!"

When Brook came back, Ash, May, and Brock pounded her with questions, but Max hung back to ponder the bag of pokeballs and the golden orb. Were the two somehow connected?

0o0o0o0o0

Brook insisted that they not rest, until they were on the other side of the mountains. The other four trainers protested, but their brown-haired friend ignored them. They traveled on late into the night. Brook didn't even stop when Max, being the youngest of the five, nearly collapsed from exhaustion. Ash called out his Grobile to carry May's little brother on his back.

The next morning, they finally stopped to rest. "We never sleep at night in these mountains," Brook had explained.

After a good day's rest, Brock's cooking hit the spot. They set off again at dusk. At first the cicadas chirped pleasantly, but once the sky was black, it was deathly silent. Not even Pikachu, Ash's little yellow mouse, made a sound.

They walked in silence. Eyes peered out at them from the bushes. Suddenly, Pikachu's ears perk up. Sparks jet from his red cheeks, making May drop the flashlight. The hair on Ash's neck stands on end, as he and the group realize that they are being followed.

Beside her, May hears a pokeball being opened. Suddenly, moonlight filters in through the trees. The gang turns around slowly. Behind them stands a Delcatty. On its right front paw, it has a heart-shaped scar.

Brook gasped, "Martha?! Well I can't take you back, now can I? Return!"

She retrieves the red ball from the grass, puts Martha in her bag, and the group presses on, into the night.

_To Be Continued…_


End file.
